I hate stupid people

I forgot to mention this classic story in my Christmas day post, so I'll put it here.

My grandmother lives in the Alzheimer's ward of a nursing home. This nursing home is one of those places with graduated levels of care: independent living, assisted living, and nursing care. It is run by a Church and they very nearly practice teetotalism. In my granny's ward, they serve a drink at happy hour maybe once a month. To say that these people are uptight would be an understatement.

On Christmas Day my parents went over to my granny's to have lunch with her in the Home's Dining Room. DH, my mom and I took the kids there for Easter and it was quite delicious. Eating in the Dining Room is a treat, and you are expected to dress for the occasion. As in all nursing homes, the temperature is kept at a sweltering 104 degrees or so it feels. As my parents and grandmother were eating their Christmas dinner, my father got hot and took off his suit jacket and hung it on the back of his chair. Mind you, he didn't loosen his tie, or unbutton his shirt; he only removed his jacket.

At the end of the meal an elderly gentleman came over to their table. My mother was expecting the man to say something about how he recognized my father (for some reason that family's face is distinctive and we all have it and you can tell any of us are related simply by looking at us); I was expecting my mother to tell me that he complimented her for her dedication to my grandmother. You see, my mom visits her mother nearly every single day; she's kind to the nursing staff, etc. What the man said was, "I want you to know that you ruined my dinner. You are supposed to wear your jacket. I even complained to the management about it." My parents were incredulous. In one of his finer moments, my father simply smiled at the rude man and said something like, "Have a nice day."

Okay jacka$$, from what I heard, you were only wearing a Western-style sport jacket, Western shirt, and bolo tie. Not exactly apparel befitting a fine dining experience.

Then this jerk had the chutzpah to remark, as my parents and granny were leaving the Dining Room (and dad had his jacket on at this point), "That's the way you're supposed to look in here." At this point, my normally patient father had had enough. And he smiled and replied, "Get bent, a$$hole!" and walked out of the room.